1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and methods for applying coatings to a target surface. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for applying an antifoulant coating to a marine vessel by utilizing a plasma spray apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Marine vessels accumulate biological growth, known as foulants, over time on surfaces that are in contact with water. Diverse species of hard and soft fouling organisms, such as barnacles, zebra mussels, algae, and slime, form colonies—particularly when a ship is docked—on underwater surfaces because each requires a permanent anchorage in order to mature and reproduce. Marine growth fouling adds weight to a ship, increases the amount of fuel consumed, and reduces its speed.
Historically, to combat the growth of marine foulants, the underwater surfaces of ships have been coated with antifoulant paints, which often include toxic materials to inhibit biological growth. Conventional antifoulant paint is applied by brush or roller. These methods create a hazard because they release toxic materials at the time of application. The antifoulant paints also create an environmental problem because they degrade over time releasing toxic materials into the water through which the ship travels. Furthermore, as a result of the breakdown of the antifoulant paint, the lifetime of the coating is severely diminished.
Recently, new marine antifoulant coatings have been developed that are non-toxic and have an increased lifetime. They are formed from powder-based covalently-bonded material and thus, have an extremely low rate of degradation, which also leads to greatly reduced toxic emissions. However, these coatings cannot be applied with traditional painting techniques of brushing or rolling.